Revolution of the Mist
by Sevelar
Summary: Kirigakure. A once beautiful land, now purged by a corrupt leader. Watch as a certain band of shinobi fight the system. Their journey will be tough, but none of them had ever expected it to be easy. What they do not know however, is that the road to ruin is shorter than they think. The stakes are high, and the balance of a lot of people is in their hands. Will they succeed? AU.
1. Chapter 1

The sunset was a beautiful thing in the Land Hidden in the Mist. He had always loved the sunset, as the colour contrast was truly a wonderful sight to behold. He stood atop the tallest tree outside the village, gazing at the huge ball of fire in the sky. Why his sensei had asked to meet this late, he had no idea. But hey, if his sensei was going to be late, so was he.

Not to mention he'd have to put up with teammates. He tried to socialize as little as possible, considering after the event he rarely did anymore. A scowl usually adorned his face. That scowl did not mingle well with his hair colour, for which he was constantly ridiculed.

To put it plain and simple, he hated Kirigakure. He loved the place; the city was an architectural wonder. No, he hated the way everything worked in Kirigakure. He hated the stupid Mizukage, who was a merciless dictator. It sucked even more that nobody had the power to fight against him, as he was a Jinchuriki. At least, that's what the people said.

A majority of the Shinobi in Kirigakure were loyal to Yagura, the pathetic excuse of a Mizukage. However, the ones who actually hated Yagura, a majority of the city, were cowards. They had power, yes. They had a lot of that, yet none of them would act. The main thing was trust. The people lacked it, thus a revolution would be hard. And the few people who did have the courage to do something, often mysteriously 'disappeared' or were the victims of tragic 'accidents'.

That was one of the main reasons as to why he wanted to become a ninja. He wanted to gain power, power to start a revolution. Power to protect everybody he held dear, in this case, his two sisters. His only family.

His dad, Isshin, had been one of the people who had disappeared around the time Ichigo was twelve. They were a pretty wealthy family, and Isshin had left quite a lot for his children. His mother had died ages ago, right on top of him. He had never been the same since. His mom had been the centre of his life, to have her suddenly go away...

He got down quickly, as speed was one of his trademark abilities. He'd better get to the designated place soon.

* * *

Toshiro Hitsugaya was in no way amused. He had arrived there a good twenty minutes before his Sensei had ordered them to arrive, and was disappointed to see that none of his teammates had arrived yet. Toshiro had been informed that he would be the youngest of the team, and therefore had a lot to cope up with. But Toshiro did not bother with that.

He was known as something along the lines of a prodigy. Only twelve, and yet he could muster about Jutsus of a Jonin level. The only thing he lacked was experience, and for that he needed to start from the very bottom. He, along with a good many people in Kirigakure, used a weapon as a part of their ninja techniques.

He used a sword, using it in the infamous style of a Shinigami, where the blade was much more than simple sword. The blade was considered a part of the Shinobi's soul, and losing it was considered bad luck, so they carried it around most of the times.

That was when he saw her. He guessed it was his new partner, as nobody usually came here. The mist wasn't as thick here, but it was clearly evident. She looked older than him, maybe sixteen or fifteen? She had long, auburn hair that seemed to cover a slight bit of her face. She had piercing green eyes, and her attire consisted of a regular genin's outfit. She was attractive, but didn't seem to spark anything inside Hitsugaya.

"And who're you supposed to be?" She asked, a smirk on her face as she walked towards the boy. He was sitting atop a rather large rock, so she had to look up to see him.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya. I take it you're...?"

"Mei Terumi" he still had absolutely no idea as to why she was still smiling. In fact, it would appear somewhat...flirtatious. That is, if Toshiro had been any older. "I didn't know I'd be paired with a child"

Toshiro tried his best to smile, though it wasn't convincing with his eyebrows twitching. He always hated it when people mentioned his age like it were a factor that determined his skill. For most people, yes it would. But not for the likes of Toshiro, as he usually proved them wrong when being underestimated.

"Isn't our sensei supposed to be here, Toshiro?" Mei asked, jumping up to sit down next to him. She didn't offer a hand, or even say hi, now that Toshiro thought about it. But he didn't mind. "I mean, considering we were informed to be here"

"Our third member is missing as well" He said. "And that person is supposed to be known for his speed, from what I gathered"

"From what you gathered?"

Toshiro nodded. "I...asked around the place. Tried to gather everything I knew about my teammates. According to the Jonins around the place, he is also a Shinigami, so is our teacher"

"Guess I'm the odd one out then" She said that in an almost happy tone, which Toshiro questioned almost immediately.

"You sound happy about it"

"Oh, I am. If I'm the one that stands out, people are going to notice me the most" She winked at Toshiro, who could not understand her reasoning. If she stood out the most, she would be easiest to recognise later. That surely wasn't a good thing, especially not when you were a ninja.

"So...looks like we have two late people in our group. Any intel on our sensei?" Mei asked, clasping her hands together and stretching them out.

"Yes, from my information, he's trained. One of the high class Jonin, it's a wonder he isn't one of the hunter-nin. His reputation speaks for itself; he conducted a lot of experiments with Shinigami-nin and is supposedly ruthless. Faithful to Yagura" said Toshiro. Mei sighed.

"And here I was, thinking I might even like him. The last three words you said were enough to make me change my mind"

"Got something against Yagura?" Toshiro asked.

"A lot, actually. His mercilessness is awful, and the way he runs the city is bad. People call this place 'the bloody mist', now. If any leader does this to our country, then he's not anyone who deserves my respect" she said this with a smile that was really starting to creep Toshiro out.

That was when the man with the weird hat arrived. He had a blonde hair underneath it, a lone strand in between his eyes. He wasn't wearing the standard Kirigakure Jonin uniform. He rather, had chosen to don a green shirt with a dark overcoat. He seemed to be carrying a cane with him.

"Are you Mei Terumi and Toshiro Hitsugaya?" His tone suggested he wanted to murder them.

"Yes, and I take it you're our teacher?" asked Mei, standing up. Toshiro half expected the man to do some weird Jutsu and kill both of them. He definitely did not expect him to whip up a fan, cover half his face with and start laughing.

"Yes, I am" he smiled. "But isn't someone missing? I mean, it's starting to get dark, and-."

"I'm here" The three of them turned to the source of the voice. The voice belonged to a tall, orange haired boy around Mei's age, dressed in a black shihakusho, with a huge sword behind him. He had a scowl on his face, but other than that, was quite handsome.

He walked towards Toshiro and Mei before jumping onto the boulder they stood atop. "Name's Ichigo Kurosaki" he turned towards the man with the fan. "I take it you must be the smart-ass who decided to meet us over here at night?"

"I happen to be that man, yes" he said, the smile still hadn't vanished. "My name is Kisuke Urahara, and I shall be your Sensei until all three of you become Jonin"

"No" all three of the gathered Genin said the syllable at the same time, each looking at the other with surprise. Urahara laughed at this as well. Was he high or something?

"My, my. So I take it all three of you know nothing about each other? Wonderful! Now then, we'll start with you" he pointed at Toshiro. The white-haired boy nodded.

"Alright then. My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya; I'm twelve years old and a Shinigami. My sword's name is Hyourinmaru and my chakra nature's water" The three present just blinked at him.

"We don't care about your abilities, Toshiro. Tell us something about you" said Mei, seemingly amused at the boy's words.

"About me?"

"Likes, dislikes"

Toshiro frowned. "I like...my grandmother, my sword. My friends, Momo Hinamori and Rangiku Matsumoto"

"Rangiku eh?" Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Orange hair, pouty lips, huuuge-." He cut himself short at the look Toshiro was giving him. He cleared his throat. "Never mind, continue"

"I dislike...people who look down on me. People who abuse their power, people who show up late to meetings" Apparently, Urahara did not understand the insult was directed at him, as he did not show any emotion at those words. "I dislike the way we become Jonins. I'm not going to kill everyone I've known for a stupid title"

"Fair enough" Urahara mumbled. "Now then, on to...you" he pointed at Mei. "Tell us about you, your likes and dislikes"

"My name is Mei Terumi. I like...being me. I like living alone, and I like handsome boys" her eyes flashed towards Ichigo for a moment before continuing. "I dislike Yagura, I dislike the way he runs things over here, and I dislike how much the Kirigakure has gone to the dumps. I plan on making-things-right"

Urahara nodded before turning to Ichigo. "And you?"

"You already know my name, I guess" He said, running a hand through his hair. "I like my family, Yuzu and Karin. I suppose I'm going to have to start liking you three, and I like my sword, Zangetsu"

"I don't like Yagura. Plain and simple. I think he's a pathetic excuse of a Mizukage and that he deserves to die a cruel death. One I plan on having the pleasure of delivering"

"Is that so?" Urahara asked, his grin completely invisible. "I take it you know that I used to be assigned to guarding our Mizukage?"

"No, I did not know" said Ichigo. "Still wouldn't change what I have to say. If you're going to do something, go ahead and do it" they stared at each other for a few moments before Urahara laughed heartily.

"That's good to hear, Ichigo! I don't like students who keep secrets from me! Now then, I assume I'm entitled for telling you a little about me. I am Kisuke Urahara, Jonin and Shinigami. My sword, Benihime, is quite reputed. I've already told you what I don't like. And what I do like...well, there are way too many things to speak of! Now then, shall we begin our test?"

"Test? I thought this was just a meeting"

"Do you think meetings cannot have tests? Besides, this isn't a very serious one. Just a test for me to know on what ground you three stand at" The three of them stood in a single vertical line. Ichigo in the left, Mei in the middle and Toshiro in the right. "Your test is simple. Disarm me"

"Uh...Sensei? We can't use our sword's full release yet?" Toshiro said. "Wouldn't it be wise if we had this test...sometime else?"

"Nonsense! You have three people, while I am only one man. Besides, I'm sure with your skills; all three of you are capable enough"

"Okay then" Ichigo said, unsheathing his sword. He remembered that he was supposed to act like a ninja. As much as he preferred running into them, there was no way he could against an elite Jonin such as Urahara himself.

"At the count of three, then" Urahara said. "Three" Ichigo readied himself, ready to spring into the forest and think before attacking. "Two" Toshiro didn't unsheathe his sword yet, there was no guarantee that Urahara wouldn't follow him if he headed into the forest. He had to use Kido techniques to buy sometime for him to run. "One" Mei simply stood there, a smile on her face. "Go!"

Ichigo darted to the forest while Toshiro brought out his palm and yelled "Hado #33! Sokatsui!" Chakra rushed towards Urahara, the chakra looking similar to that of a flame. However, it was not in reality. The smoke that ensued from Toshiro's attack was enough for him to run into the opposite side of the forest. Mei stood there, unmoving.

As the smoke dissipated, Urahara raised his eyebrow at Mei. "Do you plan on fighting me here?" her smile still hadn't left her.

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all!" Urahara smiled, sheathing his sword out of his cane. Mei was expecting that, of course. There was no other way he could have done it. She took out a kunai out of her ankle-hold and bathed it in her chakra. She had to know just how powerful Urahara was, and if his intentions were as she deduced. She rushed towards him and attempted to slash at his cheek, when all he did was lazily bring up his blade to block her blow.

She jumped back and brought her index and middle finger to either side of her lips. A torrent of water burst out her mouth. Urahara pointed his sword at her and flowed chakra into it. The water touched his sword and immediately split, moving past Urahara and his sword.

Mei nodded. She hadn't expected anything less. She threw her kunai into the air. "I surrender" her smile still hadn't left. She jumped up onto the boulder and relaxed.

"Uh...excuse me?" Urahara said, his sword loosely in his arm.

"I surrender. There is no way I can defeat someone as strong as you with my current techniques, so there's no point in trying" Urahara raised an eyebrow.

"I see. Well, if you could just sit right the-." He was interrupted as a flash of orange rushed to meet him. He took out his blade just in time to deflect the huge cleaver sword that without a doubt would have hurt him. Ichigo grinned at the man.

"You could keep up? I'm impressed" He growled, pouring his chakra into the blade, causing Urahara to slowly move back. Mei watched the events with amusement. It was funny almost how this boy thought he could best a Jonin alone. Though, she had to appreciate the effort. This boy was naive, but he was strong. And good looking.

"Do you really think this is going to work against me, Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo's smile widened. "I never planned on that. Now!" He yelled the last word, just as a dragon made purely of ice rushed towards the two of them. Ichigo pushed him towards it and rushed away before the collision. The place Urahara had stood in burst into frost, an icy mist covering Urahara from view. Toshiro appeared beside Ichigo.

"Think that got him?" He asked, his breathing slightly laboured. He had only come up with the technique a few days ago and couldn't decide on how much chakra to pour into the attack, so he had used quite a lot. He had discussed the whole ambush with Ichigo, and the result had paid off. That is, before he realised that Mei was laughing at the two of them. A tick mark appeared on Ichigo's head as he scowled at the girl.

"What's so funny?"

"Your effort. Do you honestly think sensei didn't see that coming?" She smirked at the two of them. Ichigo was getting VERY annoyed at that smirk. It was only then did the two of them notice the blades inches from their throats. One was that of a sword, while the other was a kunai. The mist cleared, and in the clearing stood a frozen stump. Substitution jutsu.

Toshiro sighed. He hadn't expected to win either. "I forfeit" he muttered, and sheathed his sword. Ichigo didn't seem to share the same thing. Urahara pressed the sword closer.

"Do you surrender, Kurosaki-san?"

"Like hell I will" He growled and gripped Urahara's blade to his neck, cutting himself. The three people present watched wide eyed as Ichigo fell clutching his neck. A moment later he disappeared in a dramatic _poof. _A shadow clone.

"Impressive. He could hold it for this long...definitely beyond Genin standards, that's for sure" Urahara whispered to nobody in particular. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Kurosaki-san? If you continue something like this, I'm going to have to find you"

Ichigo heard the words. As if that was going to make him come out. The only thing that would make him come out was-

Ichigo's eyes widened when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Without thinking, he swung his sword, catching his sensei. "Found you" Urahara smiled as Ichigo hit him with a flurry of blows. None of them were proving to be effective. Before finally, Urahara disarmed Ichigo, his huge cleaver sword falling a few feet away from him.

But even then, Ichigo was persistent. With a quick hand movement, he summoned a shadow clone. He gripped its hand and threw it towards Urahara, who effortlessly cut it. But that was all the time Ichigo needed to go get his sword.

"Enough" Urahara said, his chakra flaring around him. "The test is over. You" he pointed at Ichigo. "Have failed. No problem though, this gives me a perfect analysis of your character"

Ichigo still had his blade with him; confusion on his face was evident. "W-what?"

"From the very start, I knew that none of you could possibly defeat me. Right now, you are far too inexperienced. Your other two comrades passed the test, while you remained persistent"

"I-I don't understand, Hat and Clogs" Ichigo said. "I fought, both of them surrendered. Doesn't that mean that I-?"

"That is precisely why they have passed the test, Kurosaki-san. Both of them knew when to surrender, whereas you did not. You should have, but you did not"

"What sort of a thing is that?" Ichigo growled, frowning at the man. "I'm going to give it my all, whether you like it or not"

"Would you do so at the cost of your own life, Kurosaki-san? Or your comrades?" Ichigo's frown deepened. This man...he was impossible to read. He acted like an idiot sometimes, and then he went into ruthless killer mode. Ichigo sighed. There was no arguing with him.

"Fine, you were right, I was wrong. I should have surrendered"

"Good!" His goofy grin was back. "That will be all for now. Tomorrow you are to arrive at the academy, we will go on a mission" and with that, he bolted away. Ichigo walked over to raised eyebrows over at the boulder.

"He said we'd have to meet him at the academy later" Ichigo explained from the foot of the boulder. Both of them nodded.

"I best be off. It was nice meeting both of you" Toshiro said, and with a dignified small bow, he left. Just as Ichigo was about to do the same, he felt an arm on his shoulder.

"What do you want?" He asked, to which the girl pouted.

"I just want to get to learn who I'll be fighting with. I already learned about Toshiro. Cute kid, though very mature for his age" She said.

"Look, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I've got two sisters to go back home to. So I'd appreciate it if-."

"At least answer one question to me" She said.

"Fine" He muttered, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

"What do you want to do in life?" Ichigo scratched his head, thrown off slightly by the question. He had been expecting something like 'what's your favourite food?' or 'favorite color?' Not something as big as this.

"What do I want to do in life?" He repeated, not entirely sure what that meant.

"Yes. Like, me for example, I'd want to be famous. I wouldn't want to die alone, and I'd want my friends with me. I'd want to live in a city with fair laws, I'd want to be strong enough to make a difference. Anything like that in your mind?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. I have something similar to that"

"Speak up then"

"I'm not some kind of superhero who claims that he can protect everybody on the planet. Though, I'm not a modest guy who'll say it's enough if I can protect as many people as my two hands will allow me. I want to protect a mountain-load of people, all the people who I hold dear" He looked at Mei. "That's what I want to do in life" and with that, he jumped into the forests and towards Kirigakure, leaving behind a smiling Mei Terumi.

* * *

**AN: I've been wanting to do an IchigoxNaruto crossover for quite sometime. The thing that made me want to pair him up with Mei though was the recent Naruto chapter, where it shows that Mei's dream is to simply get married. I'm just kind of throwing the idea out there for now, and I felt this was a bit rushed considering I wrote this right after I read the manga chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo sped his way to Kirigakure, his sensei's words playing again and again in his mind. It was just his luck that he'd have to get the sensei that was most loyal to Yagura. His fortune was truly something. A particularly unlucky branch crumpled as Ichigo sped, though he was still not using the Flash Step his dad's friend, Yoruichi had taught him.

Yoruichi Shihoin was a good friend to the Kurosaki family, and sadly, was an even greater friend to Kisuke Urahara. Ichigo had heard about the man, he whose blade had certainly lived up to its name of 'Crimson Princess'. Though, he had usually heard that the man was a cold-hearted, ruthless man. He did not expect someone as childish as the person he had just met, and would have to grow to call Sensei.

He really didn't understand the meaning behind what his sensei had said. Weren't Shinobi supposed to never surrender, no matter what the odds were? Then why would he teach him to forfeit? Sure, his comrades were in danger, but wouldn't that just fuel his spirit to win, to protect his friends?

Ichigo was nearing the city, though his scowl was still present. Maybe Yoruichi was in town? It had been nearly a month, and she usually dropped by to see Yuzu and Karin, and tease Ichigo to no end (He really hated her when she did that). She wasn't from Kirigakure, and didn't seem to ever want to, while Yagura was the Mizukage.

Ichigo reached the gate, and stared at the city for a while. Was this place really what he called home? A majority of the buildings were cylindrical, rising to enormous lengths. Everybody lived in these apartments; very few could find the luxury of living on their own. A thick shroud of mist surrounded it, as always, making it damn near impossible for a foreigner to simply 'find' the place.

The Mizukage's building was situated in the middle of the city, and it was far wider than the rest of the buildings, and slightly smaller in size. Ichigo surveyed the many mountains that fenced the city, acting as a natural protection to the land. Ichigo frowned, noticing the smoke rising from the mountains nearby. Could it be...? Sadly, Ichigo could not venture there now. He would be caught after curfew, and that would end badly.

He climbed down and made his way to the gate, where Shuhei Hisagi stood guard. He nodded at Ichigo, allowing him to pass. Shuhei and Ichigo shared a strange resemblance, except for some reason; Shuhei had the number sixty nine tattooed on his cheek. It wasn't an uncanny resemblance, but it was there. It was probably the scowl that made it look so.

The roads were deserted as usual, save the homeless who wandered the streets, trying to avoid the curfew police. They were all douche-bags who abused their power, so similar to their leader. Maybe one day, this city would get. Maybe one day, Ichigo would live in a city where everybody could roam the city without fear.

He walked past the park which led to his apartment, hurrying slightly. He didn't want to keep Yuzu worrying, as she was probably going to give him hell for coming home this late. He frowned, remembering that his friends had also had their first class today.

"Oi, Ichigo!" for a second, he thought one of the curfew squad members had found him. But he recognised that voice, and turned around to meet the crimson-haired, Renji Abarai. Renji was quite older than him, maybe in his mid-twenties or so. It didn't help that Renji had started training way before him, and had already achieved his Bankai, and could beat him in a fight. Though, it was never easy.

"Yeah?" He asked, as Renji caught up with him.

"Sensed your chakra. How was your first day?"

"My teammates surrender easily and my Sensei's Kisuke Urahara. How do you think it went?" Ichigo rubbed his forehead. Renji cringed slightly.

"Kisuke Urahara? On a scale of one to Yagura, how much did you hate him?"

"Oh, I don't hate him" said Ichigo. "Yet, at least. He was...odd. I mean, you'd expect a lot from one of Yagura's most faithful guard. What I got, however, was a man who talked about how you should give up. He was also...well, childish" Almost immediately Renji's lips curved in a smug grin.

"Sucks to be you, then. You better learn your Bankai soon, since its obvious your teacher isn't going to be helping one bit" A tick marked appeared one Ichigo's forehead, causing him to smile sadistically.

"So you know that after I get a Bankai, you're not going to stand a chance?"

"I didn't say that-"

"It was sure as hell implied" Ichigo grinned even more, before he remembered something else. "How did Rukia's training with royalty go?" Ichigo often referred to Rukia's adoptive brother Byakuya in that manner, as he treated most people like they were trash. A majority of the citizens in the city of the mist carried the title Shinigami, that the land had been given the name 'Land of the Reaping'.

"Still hasn't gotten back. And that's Sensei Kuchiki, to you"

"Give it a rest, Renji. He's not here; you don't have to act as if you respect the guy"

"I do respect him, doesn't mean I have to like him"

"You have a rather weird understanding of the word 'respect'" said Ichigo, earning him a glare.

"We've gone over this"

"And I never understood you then, so it's not like I'm gonna understand you now. Well then, I better go. Yuzu's going to have my head if I don't" He said, and bid his farewell to Renji. He soon got to his building, where as usual, sat Shunsui Kyoraku.

"You know, the curfew police are gonna give you hell if you don't get in. I've already told you, you can live with us. We've got a spare room" the man chuckled, tipping his hat to Ichigo.

"You don't need an old man like me botherin' you. I appreciate the gratitude, though" Ichigo had tried many times to convince Kyoraku, and had always failed in doing so. The man always chose to stay outside and drink tea, for some reason. It was a miracle he wasn't dead yet.

He raced up the stairs before stopping on the sixteenth floor. He quietly opened the door with the spare key, and sneaked in. Maybe, Yuzu had already fallen asleep. He was right, though not completely. Yuzu was indeed asleep, though she had fallen asleep in the kitchen table, her head tucked comfortably in her hands.

Ichigo sighed, closing the door as gently as possible. He walked over to her, and squat on his legs to get to her height. "Yuzu" he shook her awake gently, as he knew his sister was pretty reactive. They had been raised by Isshin Kurosaki, after all. Every day was a challenge. Ichigo was glad that his sisters did not share his temper.

She slowly awoke, opening a lazy eye before yawning and sitting upright. "You're late" she stated, rubbing her eyes and scratching her hair a little. She looked at him with very sleepy, very disapproving eyes. Ichigo smiled softly, trying his best to keep his sister at bay.

"You can blame my Sensei for that" He said. "Besides, I'm old enough to be late"

"That's what Karin said..." Yuzu mumbled.

"You should listen to her when it comes to this" He said. "She's usually right. Come on" He said, straightening himself and holding out his hand. Yuzu didn't seem to budge at all. Ichigo sighed. "I'm going to have to carry you if you don't come on"

That got her attention. She frowned slightly at her brother (Who was so much taller than she was. And for some reason, he looked at her as though she were doing something extremely funny), but did as he told, grasping his hand and pulling herself off the chair. She walked over to her room's door and pulled the handle, walking in towards the dark room.

Ichigo sighed, walking past 'that' room. His parents had slept there. Ichigo had never stepped into it since his Dad had disappeared, and nor did he plan on doing so. He laid down his sword on its holder, and immediately flopped down onto his bed, sighing. He was tired, and needed the rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

"I'm home, Obachan" said Toshiro softly, in case his Grandmother might be asleep. He knew that was probably stupid, considering the lights to the house were still on.

"Shiro-chan!" a voice said, and almost immediately, his face was crushed in...

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro grunted, grabbing aforementioned friend by her shoulders and pushing her away, where he was met by a pout. His friend would always surprise him like this, and Toshiro had never ever found it fun. In fact, he downright hated it.

"Oh come on, Toshi. Don't be like that!"

"Please, don't call me Toshi. I'd prefer it if you called me Hitsugaya"

"But I'm your friend! No formalities between friends!"

"Where's Momo?" The boy asked, his eyes immediately darting around the house.

"Oh, she left a while ago. Said she had urgent matters to attend to. Think it might even be something for Yagura" muttered Rangiku, and immediately changed the subject. "Your grandmother wanted to see you! I've been waiting only for you to get back here" and with another hug (One Toshiro tried avoiding), she left.

Toshiro knocked gently on his grandmother's room, and slowly entered. His Grandmother was growing thinner and thinner, and nobody had any idea why. The best doctors (The best ones they could afford. Unohana was arguably the best, and she always helped Toshiro. It was a shame she didn't live in Kirigakure) couldn't make it out, but Toshiro was hell-bent on finding a way.

His grandmother had taken care of him ever since he could remember, so the thought of her dying any way other than a natural death was something Toshiro refused to digest. He watched her, his eyes finally showing hints of the emotion no child his age should feel.

Empathy.

He was very young, no matter how mature he tried to act, he was still a child. He sighed and edged closer to his grandmother, who was peacefully asleep on the mattress. He knelt down and held her wrinkled hand, and slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

Mei was satisfied. Her teammates seemed friendly enough, their teacher was a bit weird (Not what she had expected from a servant of Yagura). But all in all, she was satisfied. As far as she could make out, they knew nothing about her. That was good. Not that there was particularly a lot to tell about her.

She lived alone, rarely socialising despite her cheerful attitude. She hadn't known her parents, a trait a lot of people in Kirigakure shared. The few lucky ones that had known their parents were either Yagura's acquaintances or had their parents killed. No person would want to bring an innocent life into Kirigakure, much-less want to raise them. You would either have to be really bold, or really stupid. Not much of a difference between the two words.

She lived alone, thankfully the owners of the building were friendly enough to not ask for rent, as Mei needed all the money she worked up for food and her academy studies. Kindness was rare here, and when it did grace you, you had to be particularly thankful. Mei was.

Her apartment was nothing special, one big room at the highest floor of the building. It was messy, consisting of a small cooking area, a desk, a cupboard, a bed, two chairs on the rare occasion someone came to visit her, a small but functioning T.V.

She stared out the single window, observing the night sky and peering at Yagura's headquarters. One day, she would have the privilege of entering that building, and if fortune was favouring her, having the dispensation of killing the man.

But, you couldn't run at first. You'd have to start by crawling. She smiled as she went to bed. Her first mission would be tomorrow. Better do something worth talking about.

* * *

"Your assignment is simple enough" Kisuke Urahara said, throwing three scrolls to each of his squad members. "Find and escort miss whatever her name is back to the village. You are to do so before three days time, as that is the average time it takes for a normal human being to escape Kirigakure"

"Normal?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Barring in mind that the said person is not under the influence of the Edo Tensei technique or a Jinchuriki, words I am sure all of you are aware of" They nodded. "Good. Any questions?"

"Yes. Why don't you have a scroll?" inquired Toshiro. "It only seems logical that our captain know the details to the mission as well?"

"Oh, silly Hitsugaya-san. Of course I don't! Only people who are going to take part in the mission require details. I do not fall under that category"

"You're not coming?"

"Nope. This is how every first assignment is!"

"Eh, I don't care" said Ichigo. "You said three days right? We've got to capture this" he read the scroll. "Azami? Why?"

"Your curiosity is fun to watch, Kurosaki-san. She betrayed Yagura, and plotted to kill our Mizukage. She is being brought here by treason"

"Well, I might feel a little sympathetic to her" said Ichigo. "At least she tried to bring that bastard down!"

"You are very funny, Kurosaki-san. Note, however, that she also killed a dozen of his guards, people who were merely following orders and nothing else. She is strong, but considerably weakened. You are to bring her in, dead or alive"

The three of them nodded, and headed outside Kirigakure. Urahara sighed. That boy's mouth was going to get him in trouble. In fact, if it had been anyone else, he would be dead. Urahara did not understand only a handful of things, his intellect being the greatest of this generation, arguably every generation. The man was a military genius, and a cruel teacher. So, he didn't know why he felt a small bit of caring for the three Genins.

"Your son's a good boy, Isshin" He muttered to himself, heading back to Yagura's headquarters. "I hope he doesn't suffer the same fate as you..."

* * *

"I hear something" said Mei, leaping from branch to branch, leading her group. "Sounds like something big over there" She pointed to her right.

"Could be anything. Are you sure it's a summoning beast?" Ichigo asked.

"I haven't seen a summoning beast, before" said Mei, a hint of annoyance carried through to Ichigo's ears, causing his brows to crease even more than usual. "However, I'm fairly certain nothing else could make a sound that monstrous. How are you two not hearing it?"

"Oh, I can hear it" said Toshiro, his gaze heading towards the noise. "Though, I doubt it's a summoning beast. Their chakra signatures are usually easy to note, and that seems way too natural for it to be a-." A roar cut through the forest. They were already half way in, moving at an astonishing speed.

"That sound natural to you?" Mei asked, rushing towards the noise. Toshiro frowned a little before following, reaching for his sword. Ichigo had already taken his out, the cloth unveiling to reveal his huge black-white Khyber knife-like sword.

They reached the noise, and watched as a huge bird and tiger fought each other. From the bird's condition, it was losing this battle. Its wings were in poor condition, and Mei was certain the one losing was their target. Urahara had stated that she would be weak.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" A slender dragon made of ice rushed towards the monsters, narrowly dodging the tiger. However, attacking the beasts had never been Toshiro's motive. He had created a division between the two beasts.

"Who the hell are you guys?" the woman behind the tiger yelled, jumping onto the feline. She had short, black hair and her left hand was bleeding heavily. She had a hard face and a backpack.

"That depends on your answer" Ichigo stated. "Who're you? And who're you fighting?"

"That thing's been terrorizing this place for longer than I can count! I'm fighting it! My name is Azami Senjumara!"

"Good. We're from Kirigakure! On orders of the...Mizukage, we're here to take you back for the attempted murder of- Oh go to hell" Ichigo said, deflecting all the small shurikans that Azami had thrown at him. "Didn't want to fight, but guess that's what I'm going to have to do!"

"Heh, you kids can't beat me!" She said, her tiger roaring in compliance. The bird looked very confused, still not sure on whom to attack. Azami took that as the perfect opportunity and leaped, jumping onto the bird's head and biting her hand, drawing a horizontal line on the bird's head and placing her palm rather forcefully on it. "Possession!" A blinding light encompassed her and the bird, and when it finally died out, the bird seemed healed. It also didn't appear to have a problem that its enemy of two minutes ago was currently on top of him.

"This thing's been terrorizing these parts of Kirigakure! All it has to do is scream, and what happens next depends on how stupid you kids are" she took out a scroll from her backpack and spread it open. After a small pause, smoke erupted and a large sword found itself in the hands of the traitor. It was even larger than Ichigo's Zangetsu, but Ichigo knew damn well that the size of a sword meant nothing.

"We need a plan" Toshiro said, his sword ready to deliver another one of his attacks at any instant.

"It's simple, isn't it? Kill these things and get her. I mean, they really can't be killed that easily-."

"Then let's kill them" said Mei. "There has to be some way, right? We attack each of these things differently. I have an Earth Release, so I can take care of the tiger. One of you take care of the bird, while one of you try to knock her out"

"Our luck's great, though" said Ichigo. "We found her damn near immediately"

"Is that a problem?" asked Toshiro.

"Nope. Just...weird, that's all" he jumped towards the bird, and was surprised when Azami did the same, rushing towards him. The weight of the sword didn't seem to affect her at all, and this was factoring her injured hand. Really odd.

She swung at him, rather lazily. He blocked it effortlessly, though his situation wasn't that great. He still hadn't mastered forming Chakra-platforms, so his back was to the ground. He'd have to stay upright, or he'd suffer quite a bit. He fell a few feet lower before successfully forming one.

Azami was surprised; she obviously had no idea what it was. Or at least, that's what he thought before she grinned from the ground. "How could I forget? Kirigakure and Shinigami. The two are near impossible to-." She was cut off as the Earth to her sides rose, forming two very unsteady looking pillars before rushing to meet each other, with Azami in between.

She cursed and pushed back, scarcely dodging the attack. The teamwork was getting annoying. It didn't help that her chakra reserves weren't constructively high. Though, there was enough for-

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" She said, quickly forming a hand sign and creating three similar clones of herself. Each of them mirrored each other, drawing similar horizontal lines on the ground and pressing their palms on it. Multiple other monsters appeared, gigantic rhinos. All of them however, were impaled by another Ice-Dragon the moment they had been released. She frowned. How come there hadn't been any reinforcements from the bird? Its cry would have been enough for all sorts of monsters to rush here.

She stole a glance, and much to her dismay, the thing's beak had been frozen solid. It couldn't make a sound at all. Smart kid, the one with the white hair. Formulating a plan for a possible future hindrance was quick thinking, thinking she had not thought he was capable of. Underestimating them might have been a grave mistake.

Her line of thought was interrupted as the orange haired boy rushed towards her, his sword cutting through the air to meet her. She blocked it, but received all the force the boy had put into the swing. She felt as if someone had hit her with a human sized Hammer-head. The boy must have had a lot of Chakra to generate something of epic proportions like that.

Why was he smiling? She had blocked his attack, right? "Getsuga..." He said. Getsuga? What on earth could that mean? "TENSHOU!"

Chakra burst out of the sword, the intensity of the attack hurting both Ichigo and Azami, though the latter took a lot more of it. She swore, rubbing the blood that now dripped off of her right hand. Her sword arm was next to finished. Reluctantly, she dropped it. She was going to have to fight him with her Jutsus.

She knew a good number of Jutsus with only one hand, but most of them were summoning. And she didn't have enough chakra left for another summon. She jumped and faced Ichigo, her cheeks puffing up. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" a huge ball of fire burst out of her mouth, speeding towards Ichigo. He swung his sword behind, more force being applied to the attack.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo yelled, flinging his attack at Azami. The two attacks met, cancelling each other in mid air. However, Ichigo had not counted on the same Jutsu being sent at him again. He gritted his teeth and took the attack. He was rewarded with a lot of burns, though nothing serious. She didn't have a lot of Chakra left.

"You alright?" Mei asked, dealing with the tiger. She had created an earthen cage of sort which had successfully trapped the beast. She then continued throwing explosive tags into it, trying to see if this thing could be killed or not. She wasn't successful so far. She clenched her fist, and the cage shrunk, putting a lot of strain on the animal inside. A technique Mei herself had invented. Sadly, it took a lot of her Chakra. Far more than a Genin should be able to use. Fatigue was already setting in.

"I'm fine" He said from in between the small crater the fireball had created. Goddamn it, it hurt like a bitch. "That stings!"

"That's good!" She growled, and took out one soul kunai. Her last straw. She rushed towards Ichigo, who smiled, ready to intercept her blow. He blocked, but was surprised when she lashed at him with even more force, since there was no way she was going to win. Just as he was about to knock the kunai out, he stopped. Something happened, and suddenly, he wasn't in the forest anymore.

He was in his mind's world; the huge buildings met his eyes. What the hell? Why was he here? Shit, what was happening back there? And then, he saw it. Yellow eyes, gazing at him. It was a monster, something he had never even heard of. It had yellow eyes, two horns and long white hair through a sort of mask. It just stared at him, not moving.

"What the hell are you? Where's Zangetsu?" Ichigo demanded. The thing didn't move, but continued to stare at him. Oh what the hell. When in doubt, attack. He reached for his sword, but much to his horror, it wasn't there. Well, shit.

He was surprised at how much that word described situations he was in. "Ichigo"

He turned back, to see Zangetsu, standing atop one of the buildings, staring at him. "What the hell is that?"

"You weren't supposed to learn about him so soon..." Zangetsu muttered, too far away for Ichigo to hear.

"What?" He asked, and before he knew it, Zangetsu was in front of him.

"You have three seconds to remember your situation up there" He said, and brought out his hand. What? He had been fighting that female-

Zangetsu's hand crashed on Ichigo's face, and the next thing he knew, he was watching those cold yellow eyes. Except, they seemed much more sinister now. He froze. That rarely ever happened.

He was back in the forest, Azami's attack rushing towards him just as how he had remembered before he had been transported to his inner world. Except, Ichigo's mind was elsewhere. It was going to take way too long to block, and even more time to ready a flash step.

Ichigo still couldn't move. Those eyes had pierced him, leaving him near defenceless. He would have to take the hit. However, in a blur, Toshiro appeared in front of him, blocking the kunai while Mei landed behind Azami, holding a kunai of her own to Ichigo's assailant's throat. She smiled, slightly.

"I don't know why I didn't guess it before. You're good" Mei said, and without a hesitation, slit the woman's throat. Ichigo was about to protest as she burst into a cloud of smoke, vanishing. They had been fighting a shadow clone all this time?

"What happened?" Toshiro said, sheathing his sword and turning to Ichigo.

"I could have taken the hit" Ichigo insisted.

"Avoiding the spill of blood would be very nice, don't you think?" said Mei, storing her Kunai in the small tied around her leg.

"You didn't answer the question" Toshiro noted.

"Nothing happened. Something...distracted me. It was probably one of those vines" Ichigo waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "But never mind that! Any idea on how to find her? Three days is all the time we have"

"Well, she was here. So we've got her Chakra signature. She couldn't have gotten far with her wounds" said Mei. "We split up, and whoever finds her informs the others by tossing this" She took two kunais with explosive tags and tossed both of them to her teammates. "Into the sky. Put enough chakra in it, it needs to be loud enough for us to hear. If we don't find her by today, we come back here"

"Sounds fine by me" said Ichigo. Toshiro nodded, and the three went their separate ways.

* * *

"I take it your team is after her?"

"Yes, my lord" said Urahara, kneeling in front of his Mizukage. "They are also under the impression that she is an enemy"

"Good" said Yagura, placing his head on a lazy hand. His child-like appearance was the only thing of the sort. Yagura spoke with the command and power only one of great age and strength could hope to. "Anything else you have to inform me about, Kisuke?"

"Yes. They seem to harbour a blatant distaste for you. All three of them" said Urahara.

"That is no matter. As long as they do not revolt against me, I do not mind" said Yagura. "Although, it would surely be wonderful if I were allowed to teach them a few manners if they ever did perform insubordination before striking them down"

"Which immediately leads me to my next point" said Urahara, not sure exactly on how to go on about the topic. "All three of them have extremely high chakra-reserves. They could probably beat a majority of the Chunins here"

"That is also no matter. Most, if not all of our new shinobi are immensely powerful. However, you wouldn't be telling me this if they were like the rest" Yagura sighed. "What is it you wish to say?"

"Well, two of them are like the rest. But one of them, in particular, has the Chakra reserves that would rival that of a Jinchuriki"

"Oh" said Yagura. "That is certainly interesting news"

"Benehime isn't all too pleased with the boy, either" said Urahara, gesturing to his sword. "In the small fight I had with him, she already feels a great sense of hatred towards the boy"

"But Benehime has never been one to be particularly friendly. In fact, I remember having to do a lot of things for her to finally acknowledge me worthy of her respect"

"More so then usual then, my lord" said Urahara. Yagura had never liked the way Urahara referred to him. The words always sounded...wrong. Urahara wasn't the type of man who called people like that, no matter what their difference in power may be.

_Even that, I am not all too entirely sure, _he thought. The man's intelligence was something far too...suspicious.

"Very well then" said Yagura. "You shall inform me if there are unusual spikes in his power. Anything you deem interesting must be reported to me the instant you set foot in this building. Are we clear?"

"Yes" said Urahara. "My lord" he added at the end, as though he had forgotten he had to refer Yagura in that manner. No matter.

"Also, would it be wise to conduct the ceremony for the Jonin exams, and not the Chunin one?" Urahara asked. Now, Yagura was getting irritated.

"You already made me shift it to the Chunin exams, and now you want me to postpone it even further?"

"Yes. It is just...with the missions we are being given, many of them are bound to die. It would be wiser to cut down the weak and then have the strongest fight it out to survive, wouldn't it, my lord?" Yagura frowned. This was certainly not like Kisuke at all. Nonetheless, he found himself sighing with surrender.

"Fine. But no more postponing" said Yagura.

"Thank you, my lord"

"How is the fight against the resistance faring? I am eager to know about the progress we are making on finding the hideout to their base"

"You seem to forget, my lord, that they have Sosuke Aizen with them. His illusions have certain...realism to it that I fear only the strongest of the Uchiha Clan could hope to rival" said Urahara. "And sadly, we still do not understand how it is he has tricked us. It is going to take a lot of time, but I assure you, we have our best shinobi working on finding a way past it"

"And what of the attacks they launch?"

"Most of them, when not involving a particularly strong Shinigami, are quite easily detained. In fact, we also seemed to have captured one of the stronger Captains of the resistance. We are interrogating him now, although he has remained silent. We will get to him. Mayuri will make sure about that"

"Ah yes. Mayuri Kurotsuchi. That man finds some sort of twisted pleasure in torturing humans, doesn't he?"

"A rather unappealing trait, but he is an intelligent man. A valuable resource to Kirigakure"

"Oh yes indeed. I know of that all too well" Yagura agreed. "However, it would be best if you put a firm leash on the man. I wouldn't want his perverse attitude staining the Kirigakure honour" The Mizukage liked his jokes. The village had earned the name 'The Bloody Mist' under his ruling. If there was any honour, one would know Kirigakure did not house such wonders.

"I shall see to it, my lord. Anything else?"

"Nothing" said Yagura. As he watched Urahara make his way to the exit of the room, he couldn't help but ask. "What is the name of the one you spoke of? The one in your team, that is"

"Oh" said Urahara. "I thought I had already said it. His name is Toshiro Hitsugaya" and with that, Urahara exited the room, leaving the Mizukage to his thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Note: WOW, THIS IS LAAAATE. My sincerest apologies. Life's been kicking me in the balls lately, and I haven't had a lot of time to write anything. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter out soon. After September, you can expect a lot of quick updates from meh.**

**Anyways. Another small chapter. Hope this wasn't rushed, I took my time with this one, although I do think the fight could use a rework. I'll probably get down to that somewhere after the next chapter is out.**

**Also, thank you for the reviews :D Really appreciate it! I'd also like to answer a few questions. Firstly**

**Arrankor: The principle behind the test is weird, I'll admit. In fact, it's exactly the opposite of what Urahara taught Ichigo during his training (The whole 'don't let them cut you' speech). However, this lesson will come back later in the story.**

**Urs-v: Slowing down the rhythm was something I planned on doing, though I suck at it. It's something I want to do after another chapter or two, so bear with me until then. Also, the timeline. Oh my, how much that scared me. I hate to say it, but I am utterly clueless as to the timeline, although I've given it a lot of thought. The clan massacre probably happened before the events, so was Zabuza's supposed assassination attempt. As for the civil war, well, that's exactly what I have planned! Revolution of the Mist!**

**Hope ya'll enjoyed! Will hopefully update soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

"No luck" said Ichigo, bringing his sword down on the ground with frustration. Mei jumped a little and the noise, not aware that he was about to do the act he just had.

"You seem pent up" Toshiro noted. "You didn't tell us what happened back there"

"I didn't for a reason" He said. "Because nothing's there to tell. Nothing happened. Any of you know how to handle a fl-."

Before he could finish, Mei kept two fingers between her lips and blew out a small fire, lighting up the firewood she had collected a few hours ago. "Yes" she said, smiling at him. Ichigo shivered slightly. The smile didn't all too friendly. He gathered Zangetsu and took out some water from the pack he slung on his hip, washing his sword. A few blood stains here and there.

"You clean your sword?" Toshiro asked.

"You don't?" Mei asked, sitting next to the three.

"Never had to"

"Yeah, we get it. You're a saint and never make wounds that cut someone. Sadly, I don't share your-."

"It's not that, idiot" Toshiro interrupted, causing Ichigo to raise his eyebrow at the snide insult. "I cut my enemies all the time. But I can't think of a day I've ever had to clean it. It's always like this" He unsheathed his sword, showcasing that it was indeed, clean.

"How?"

"You apply chakra to it" he said, demonstrating by applying a little. Sure enough, a green tinge surrounded the blade. It changed nothing, but it piqued Ichigo's curiosity a great deal.

"Is it the same with a Kunai as well?" Mei asked, taking one of her weapon which was also bloodstained. Toshiro shook his head.

"Only works with zanpaktou" He said. "They're...more than just a weapon you wield. They symbolise a part of you"

"I thought that was just a metaphor. How do you immerse your soul into an inanimate object?"

"It's...kind of complicated to explain" Toshiro admitted. "But no, it isn't a metaphor"

"It really sucks being the only one who can't understand this. I mean, being the only non-Shinigami certainly does not have its benefits"

"Oh, yes it does" Ichigo said. "We need diversity. They take away our swords, and we're pretty much fucked"

"I'm not completely clueless, Ichigo" She said. "I know your swords can come back to you even if you don't want it to"

Ichigo frowned. "We can't do that"

"Not now, at least" Toshiro said. "We need our swords to be in Bankai form for that. Only the really good ones can manage that with a Shikai. Someone of Urahara's level, if you want that specifications"

"What's that guy's deal, anyway?" Mei asked. "He's Yagura's right hand man, and acts like that"

"Looks can certainly be deceiving. Whatever that man is, he's not what he's showing us" said Ichigo. "I mean, my dad would beat me around after my mom died, just to improve my reflexes. I'd beat him up, and he'd laugh. But boy, he was a monster on the field. He was really powerful, and he got pissed when anyone threatened me or my sisters"

The other two teammates just stared him, much to Ichigo's surprise. "What?" He demanded.

"N-nothing" Toshiro stammered. "Not a lot of people just openly say they beat their dad. It's...awkward"

"Yeah, my dad was an oddball. What about you guys? How's your family?"

"I live alone, remember?" Mei pointed out. "And Toshiro over here lives with his grandmother"

"Oh...sorry" Ichigo muttered.

"No reason to apologize. Like I said, living alone's fun. No rules, no parents behind your back"

"I've always wanted parents behind my back, though" said Toshiro. "Someone to take care of me constantly"

"That sounds boring" said Mei. "Why? You can do whatever ya want, without anyone stopping you. Tell me Toshiro, what's the worst thing you've ever done?"

"I...uh..." Toshiro looked away, scratching his cheek slightly. "Um...uh...I once hid Rangiku's zanpaktou from her. She didn't find it for three days"

"Wow" said Ichigo, trying to feign awe. "That's..."

"Pathetic" said Mei. "Calling that a prank would be generous, actually. What about you, Ichigo?"

"Well, I punched my dad a lot" Ichigo said. "Don't know if that counts as something bad. Does destroying a friend's house count?"

"Was it on accident?" asked Mei.

"Yes"

"No" she smiled.

"Well then, Miss bad girl, what's the worst thing you've ever done?"

"Oh, in due time" She smiled again. There was nothing reassuring about it, other than a sense of impending doom. "Well then, we'd better sleep. Gotta find her soon"

"I'll take first watch" Ichigo said.

"I'll do it" said Toshiro. "I've already set up explosive kunais around place. Any foreign contact and they get frozen. So, I'd advice against going outside without my knowledge"

"Why can't I go?"

"Because, if you falter once more like that when someone's coming at us, you're gonna cost us a lot" said Toshiro.

"It was one screw up! Nothing serious" Ichigo growled. Toshiro just dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand, and moved ahead.

"You know, you can trust us" said Mei. "Like it or not, you're going to be seeing us a lot. So, if you're going to keeping things from us, don't expect us to tell you everything about us" She turned around and snuggled into her sleeping bag. Ichigo sighed, pressing his back against a tree and trying to sleep.

* * *

"Mayuri-san!" the person in question groaned as he heard that voice. He really hated that man. He tried to duck, tried to get away from that man. Too late. He felt a familiar iron grip at his shoulder, turning him around to be faced with the Blonde Shinobi.

"What is it, Urahara...san?" The last syllable forced way too much.

"Why, I was under the impression that you were running away from me" said Urahara, his goofy smile nearly blinding Mayuri. Words could not possibly describe how much Mayuri Kurotsuchi despised this man, how much he wished the man would drop dead. But alas, matters like that would simply not happen without...another, much stronger force.

"That was indeed, what I was planning, Urahara-san"

"Oh, you hurt me Mayuri-san" The man feigned hurt, but recovered immediately. "I heard you captured one of the seven captains of the rebellion. How is your progress on extracting information?"

"It is going quite well" said Mayuri, finally having something dull out the pain of having to converse with Yagura's most trusted man.

"I suspect that means we are having good results?"

"Oh no, we haven't gotten anything useful yet. However, I get to test a myriad of drugs on her. And since when were you under the impression that she was a captain? None of the captains would be captured so easily. Oh no, this woman is strong, but she is not captain worthy. Did Ulquiorra refer to her as a captain?"

"He most certainly did. He also stated that you were then who said as such. And he also did not confide in me that this person was a woman"

"Then he is quite surely, an idiot" said Mayuri. "If he thought a captain would go down to someone of his calibre so easily"

"You seem to underestimate him"

"You seem to overestimate him" Kisuke smiled.

"It was that charming wit you possessed that made me speak most highly of you, Mayuri-san" said Urahara. "Would you mind if I saw this female rebel?"

"My answer doesn't really carry much weight, does it, Urahara-san?" sighed Mayuri.

"No, I'm afraid it wouldn't" Urahara smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, since you are already here" said Mayuri, standing up from the HQ cafeteria. He directed the blonde Shinigami across a series of halls and corridors before leading him to a small room that had a large glass window overlooking a dark room.

"Fire up the lights, Zommari" ordered Mayuri, before opening a door which conveniently led him into the room. The lights turned on to reveal a girl, her wrists had metal cuffs attached to chains that made it so she was forced into a standing position. She had black dishevelled black hair. A scanty piece of clothing kept her modest. A battle of wounds could be soon all over her body, cuts, bruises, and multiple tiny punctures marks showing just how many drugs Mayuri could have tested.

Urahara stared, not all too pleased at Mayuri's work. No human being should ever have to go through such torment, ever. "Don't you think you...overdid it, Mayuri-san?"

"Showing pity, are we, Urahara-san? How very unlike you" Mayuri smiled, looking at the punctures before taking a very thin stick and smacked her across the back. No movement.

"I find it very unethical to carve up a corpse"

"Not a corpse yet, Urahara-san" he said, using the stick once again. She finally stirred, a single eye opening. "Now then, Miss Shutara. Must I ask the same questions as before?"

No answer. Slap. To her defence, she didn't scream, or do anything of the sort. The only sign of pain was a wince, and even that was slight.

"I haven't talked in three days...what makes you think I'd talk now?" Every word was an effort. She stared at Mayuri's yellow eyes, staring at her with a sadistic high. It was surprising how she could possibly stay sane through this ordeal. Especially at the mercy of a man like Mayuri. The only thing that could make the man more frightening would was if he wore face-paint.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something that will rid you of this...shyness" said Mayuri. "However, I have a guest who would like to meet you. Come on in, Urahara-san"

"I'm fine from here, thank you, Mayuri-san" said Urahara, smiling through the glass before looking at Shutara. "If you give us the information, we'll let you go"

Shutara scoffed. "I didn't believe it the first time he said it, and I don't believe it now. Besides...I've gone through all this, you think I'd just give it up if you promised me freedom? Go to hell"

"All we need are the plans. Those people, they aren't coming to save you, so I doubt they'd be coming anytime soon" Urahara saw something like a flicker of sadness in her eyes, though it vanished the moment it had come back.

"None of us expect to return. Which is why we never send rescue teams. If we die, we die" said Shutara. "That's just how the Rebellion works"

"That...is a very flawed thinking" said Urahara. "What's the point of sending a soldier if you don't come back?"

"It's ironic, isn't it? Kisuke Urahara, giving me a lecture about the life of a comrade. Funny, how you let your friend die" Urahara frowned.

"That's irrelevant, and you do not know the circumstances under which I had to take that decision. So, I'd prefer if we stopped swaying from the matter, which is that all of this could stop if you just gave us the information we needed"

"My answer isn't going to change. No"

"Well then, I'm afraid Mayuri-san will be getting all the more friendly with you" and with that, Urahara walked out the door. The woman had awoken bad memories within him, memories even a man such as Urahara dreaded.

* * *

Morning came by fast. Toshiro hadn't gone on a lookout for too long, so he was well enough to continue with his team, albeit a little tired. "I'll be lagging behind quite a lot" he'd informed. Mei noted that he was very shrewd, and to perfect Shinigami techniques at such a young age, was surely something to marvel at.

Ichigo, as far as she could tell, was quite intelligent. Not to her or Toshiro's extent, but he could use his head if his brute force didn't guarantee him the win in a battle.

Ichigo, on one hand, was determined to find Azami and give her what he called 'revenge'. His teammates seemed to be making a mountain out of his small slip up (He couldn't talk with Zangetsu, or even enter his inner world now. Great). He'd somehow convince Zangetsu to explain to him about that...thing and make sure slip-ups like that never happened again.

"Split up, I guess" said Ichigo, moving to the front of his team.

"Hope you fight somewhere vines can't distract ya" said Mei. Ichigo, despite himself, smiled slightly.

"Good luck!" He grunted, and moved away from his team.

* * *

Azami growled in frustration. She needed to get out, but this forest was proving to be annoying. She'd marked a tree, just in case she'd somehow stumble upon it. The tree now had six markings. She was still tired from her summoning the previous day. Those brats...they were powerhouses. All three of them, she'd played all of her cards, and now she had nothing but her skills. And if what she thought was right...those three were already singlehandedly as strong as her.

However, what surprised her most was the orange haired one. Ichigo Kurosaki. That was a strong name he bore, carrying almost as much significance as Uzumaki, Uchiha, Senju and the like. He held a strong bloodline, and when the Shiba Clan merged with his, he housed an unnatural power.

She still didn't understand the concept of all of this. Why not just have Kisuke Urahara track her down? Surely, this was a 'test' but the job would be so much simpler if the sensei was there as well. The other two were even more dangerous. They carried no big family name and were still capable of extraordinary feats, though she could swear she'd heard of the name Hitsugaya before.

Something sped towards her, effectively pulling her from her line of thought. She jumped back just in time, as a huge cleaver-like sword buried itself onto the ground. She frowned, looking at a long piece of cloth stuck towards the hilt. It was stretched, yet the hilt of the sword was still covered with a lot of that cloth. She looked to where the cloth came from. It was the Kurosaki brat.

"You know, if you'd been a little faster, I wouldn't be the joke of my team" he said. Why was he smiling? "Time to return the favour"

And with that, he jumped.

* * *

He landed a few hundred feet in front his sword, so that he was just in front of Azami. He pulled the cloth in front of him, sending his sword back towards the kunoichi, who dodged.

_Not today_, Ichigo growled, moving his hand so that the cloth moved the blade towards Azami, who instinctively ducked, slowly trying to decrease the distance between them. His long range wouldn't be as deadly if they were closer in proximity to each other.

She whipped up a kunai and threw it at the boy, who lazily moved out of the way. Ichigo pulled the cloth, the hilt finding itself in his hand. "Hey, lady...I'm going to finish this in an instant" and with that, he pushed his feet to the ground, and with a burst of speed appeared in front of her, slashing sideways.

The sword found her shoulder, cutting through her armour as though it were nothing. Before she could even react, he grabbed her free hand, and pulled it down, making her hit the ground, before sending his sword through...the ground inches away from her head.

"I wasn't kidding when I said a flash" He replied to the now unconscious body of his target. He sighed, picking his blade up and trying what Toshiro had bragged about. He willed his chakra into the blade, and was very surprised when he watched the blood disappear. Soon enough, it was completely gone. "Oh well" Ichigo said, placing his sword on his back and picking up the woman, placing her on his shoulder before forming a hand sign and slamming his palm to the ground. Markings appeared on the floor, until a huge ray of light surrounded him and blasted into the sky. He felt nothing, though. This was just to signify that he'd finished the job.

His teammates didn't seem happy when they found out the result. "You were supposed to use it the moment you saw her" Toshiro pointed out. Ichigo shrugged, which almost resulted in his baggage falling off.

"Big deal"

"She could have had reinforcements"

"It would have said something in our scroll about something as vital as that. Though, she didn't put up much of a fight at all. Wasn't she supposed to be a Jonin or something?"

"You're right" Mei frowned. "In theory, she should have kicked your ass the moment she saw you. You might be slightly stronger, but Kirigakure Shinobi would probably defeat you easily. The particularly hardcore ones should have no problem slitting your throat and moving on to fight the rest of us"

"I feel so loved" Ichigo mumbled. "Trust me; I know just how strong Jonin are supposed to be. A friend of mine's obsessed with her brother, who has a hobby of kicking my ass. This one's nowhere near as strong as him, and all her brother does is screw with me"

"Sounds like a charming man. I take it you refer to Kuchiki-sensei?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow at Toshiro's comment.

"How-?"

"Connected the dots. He has a sister, so I figured he'd be the only one who could beat you while 'screwing around'. Not to mention, Kuchiki-sensei doesn't really like a lot of people. Matsumoto learned that the hard way once..."

"Great. As much as I'd love to hear this story of yours, I'd probably enjoy hearing it home. So can we go? Please?"

"Somebody is homesick" Mei smiled. She still hadn't gotten a chance to show case her trump cards (Having more than one trump card surely spoke a great deal about her prowess). She might not be a Shinigami, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let these to dominate the team. "Okay then. We leave immediately"

* * *

Yagura smiled at the corpses that now littered the Ai Park. The scent of blood was thick, making his smile all the more sinister. Despite the way things looked, Yagura didn't enjoy killing. However, he did enjoy stepping on bugs that posed a threat. And sadly, the Izuru clan had been exhibiting rather rebellious tendencies. Tendencies Yagura didn't find very appealing at all.

He had been forced to come down here and it had started off as a friendly ordeal. But of course, the head of clan, Kira, had been adamant that Yagura 'get his Royal ass out of our house', and had rather stupidly brandished his sword at the ruler of 'the bloody mist'. Yagura had been nice enough to comply and walked out, only for his guards to be ambushed by others of the Izuru clan, after which Yagura had been forced to the park. Kira only instigated the fight further, giving a huge speech about how the Izuru clan would, after dealing with Yagura; bring back Kirigakure to its former glory.

Chopping his head off of the man's neck had truly been wonderful. The Izuru clan fell like bowling pins, each one's death more gruesome than the one before, Yagura taking all the more time into making sure that was the case. Kirigakure hadn't seen a massacre of this length since the Kaguya clan ordeal, and even then Yagura hadn't been directly involved.

He watched as the people looked him, some scared, some marvelled, some awed, some horrified. At the end, he was still far too good for any of them. "Y-Yagura-sama, what's this?"

"Ah, Kisuke. Exactly where were you?"

"I received word that my team would be returning, my lord. I was merely making certain that there were no complications with their mission"

"They have arrived?"

"I went myself. A friend of mine goes by the name 'goddess of the flash', my lord. You could say her talents rubbed onto me. B-but my lord, that has nothing to do with why I'm here. Wh-what is the meaning of this?"

"I don't think I can remember the last time you ever stuttered" Yagura swayed a little, before steadying himself.

"Neither do I. Yagura-sama, this...this is big. You shouldn't have done this"

"And who are you to oppose me, Kisuke?" Yagura snapped, still not facing Urahara. "You could be one amongst these corpses if I saw fit"

"We both know that's not the case" Yagura felt a hand on his shoulder. "Yagura...stop"

"Y-yes" The voice was getting unbearable now. He reached a hand, rubbing his temples. "I-I'll be leaving to the Hokage building...N-no, I'll be fine, Kisuke"

"I didn't say anything"

Yagura nearly swore. He needed sleep, and he needed it now. He needed it badly. Anything to make the voice stop.

* * *

Ichigo grinned at Urahara, who for some reason, seemed very down. Azami was now conscious, and very pissed. She struggled against the rope that held her, frowning up at her captors, or in this case, just Ichigo. Mei and Hitsugaya were satisfied, but not to the point where their teeth showed.

"Good work, all three of you" Urahara mumbled. "Y-you can leave"

"Is everything alright, Sensei?" Mei asked, frowning.

"No, it...never mind. You three best be off home" Urahara sighed, taking Azami away.

Ichigo frowned; all traces of his grin had died out. "What's his problem? He seemed extremely down"

"Well, we'll find out soon enough" Toshiro said. The three of them made their way home, when the stench of gore hit their noses. Mei was the first to see it, and she abruptly stopped.

None of them could believe what they were seeing. Bodies lay scattered all over the place, some lacking a head, some a limb, all of them grotesquely placed such that you couldn't step in the park without somehow touching a part of the corpses. Toshiro looked at the scene, aghast at the sight before him. Was this how the Kaguya clan had looked? No. None of them would have been this badly treated.

Ichigo had an expression similar to that of the other two. It didn't last, soon to be replaced by unspeakable anger. He clenched his fists, and looked around at all the people who were still here. "What the fuck happened?" Nobody answered. Ichigo repeated the question, a hundred times louder. A few people stirred, mumbling something about a member of the Izuru clan insulting Yagura.

"And you assholes just sat here, while all this happened?" Ai Park wasn't a large park, and the whole park wasn't littered with bodies. However, there were more than fifty bodies all over the main section. Bodies floating on the small pond, bodies stuck in between bars of the small bridge that had been built over it. He knew that none of them could have possibly fought against Yagura, but right now, he didn't care.

"Ichigo..."

"What?" He growled, turning around to face one of his good childhood friends. Rukia Kuchiki.

"You know none of them could have-."

"Your brother sure as hell could! Don't you guys know Kira? You think he deserved to be part of this?"

"Nee-sama isn't in town, and don't you dare try to put the blame of this on him, idiot!" Rukia growled, glancing at the bodies with slit eyes. She had indeed, known Kira. He had been a good man, usually reserved. So when she had heard that he had been the one to initiate the fight, it had deeply hurt her. "Nobody could have stopped this but Kira"

"Oh, so this is now his fault?" Ichigo yelled.

"It's not Nii-sama's!"

"It's not the dead guy's either!"

"Ichigo, stop" said Toshiro. "It's not her fault..."

"He knows!" Rukia snapped. "He just needs someone to shout at"

"Why did this happen?" Mei asked. Rukia stopped her glaring competition with the orange haired boy, and turned to his comrade.

"Kira said something about Yagura, and started an attack against him. His whole clan followed. The children are still alive, though...they're being taken care of by the city officials right now" she said.

"The bastard had no right to do this..." Ichigo mumbled.

"You're right, he didn't" said Mei.

"He didn't start the fight..." Rukia muttered. "He didn't have to do this" She gestured to the fallen clan. "But the fault isn't completely his"

"The bastard...Urahara did nothing about this. That's why the asshole was so nervous with us"

"He actually looked a lot more sad than nervous" pointed out Toshiro.

"Ichigo, I think you should go back to your sisters. Th-this'll be handled" Rukia said. Ichigo would have loved to stay and argue, but Rukia was right.

"Tell Byakuya from me to go fuck himself!" He yelled, before going around the park, using his flash step now. He greeted Shunsui outside his apartment, whose expression was grim.

"This will all end one day, Kurosaki-san..." he mumbled. "Now then, if you'll excuse me" Ichigo still didn't understand where he went. He rushed up the stairs, and opened the door to his apartment.

Yuzu was a mess. Her eyes were red and puffy; a box of tissues lay on the table near the couch. Karin sat next to her, trying her best to comfort her sister. Ichigo closed the door and laid his sword on its handle. "You...saw it?"

"She went to the grocery store. When she came back...well..." Ichigo's anger still hadn't left him, but he knew better than to cause a scene right now. His sister needed him.

"H-he killed them so easily" Yuzu whimpered, shivering slightly as Ichigo sat next to her. He wrapped his arm around her trembling form and hugged her.

"Just...close your eyes" Ichigo mumbled. "Karin, go to bed. Unless of course, you don't wanna sleep"

"I want to stay here" she said, frowning at her brother's words. "Yuzu's my sister too, ya know"

"Yeah, but I don't have to go the Academy tomorrow. You do" Ichigo said. "And you're going to need the sleep"

"Fine" muttered Karin, clearly reluctant on leaving her sister. Ichigo sighed, stroking the side of Yuzu's head to calm her down. He really sucked at stuff like this, his Dad was loads better. Every time Ichigo had gone on his tantrums, his Dad with soothe him up somehow. With no Isshin around, Ichigo had been forced to pick up the mantle, a mantle that he was in no way ready to take up.

This was going to be a long night.

"Ichigo" Toshiro knocked on his comrade's door. No response. After about three minutes, the door opened. Toshiro found himself looking at a thirteen year old female version of Ichigo. Or at least, the scowl helped.

"What?" she pretty much snarled, running a hand through her black hair.

"Does Ichigo Kurosaki live here?" Mei asked, also noticing the slight resemblance the girl bore to her elder brother.

"Come on in...You're his teammates?" Toshiro nodded. "He's on the couch. Good luck waking him up" she said, and proceeded to go inside some room.

"My, my...what do we have here" Mei chuckled. "It almost looks like he's nice. Huh Toshiro?"

"Well...I didn't expect this either" said Toshiro, his lips curving slightly at the sight of Ichigo sleeping with one hand protectively around his sister, who seemed to be asleep on his shoulder. Toshiro poked Ichigo in the cheek slightly, stirring him back into consciousness. He drowsily opened his eyes, studied Toshiro's face, and yawned.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" He muttered, scratching his hair. "How are you guys even in here?"

"You read this?" Mei asked, holding up an edition of some really old manga.

"Dad" Ichigo explained, straightening up. "Now then, answer my question. What the hell are you guys doing here?"

"Your sister was kind enough to let us in. I have to ask, does everybody in your family frown?"

"Just Karin and I, actually" he said. "My dad smiled an awful lot, and that rubbed onto Yuzu. At least, enough to make sure that she didn't scowl all the- What's with that grin?"

"Nothing...just, never expected you to be the caring type" said Mei.

"Well, you learn something new everyday" said Ichigo. "Now then, for the last time, what-"

"We've got a mission" said Mei.

"That quickly?" Ichigo asked, taking the scroll from Mei and reading it. "This isn't till a month"

"I know...Urahara-sensei wants you to start training for your Bankai. Toshiro already started ages ago" said Mei. "And I've already started trying to perfect my techniques"

"I started my Bankai training the moment I got my Shikai. Unlike Toshiro over here, my Shikai is pretty straightforward. I hit stuff with Zangetsu, and that's about it" said Ichigo. "No very special power, other than the fact that it's strong as hell"

"That's not how it works" Toshiro frowned.

"In my case, it kind of does" said Ichigo. It wasn't the truth, though. He had taken sometime to try and learn a few more tricks with his Shikai, which he did. "The point is I started my Bankai training. So, I don't have to come to the academy today. Now, go tell Urahara to go fuck himself"

Toshiro frowned. "What was that comment for?"

"Well, considering what 'Yagura-sama' did yesterday night, I think that comment was much needed" Ichigo smiled. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I've got a sister to take care of"

"Urahara-san expects you now, actually" said Mei. "The training regiment he has for us is supposed to be mortifying. At least, that's what he's got us saying. Besides, the Chunin exam starts in three months. You're going to need your Bankai to stand a chance against all the other Genin. They're going really overboard with this stuff"

"I get it" Ichigo growled. "The thing is, right now, I don't give a damn. All I care about is staying here"

"Well, that's too bad. Because, according to Urahara, Byakuya-sensei's gonna be there as well" said Toshiro. His smile grew as he watched Ichigo mull over the decision of either staying here or going.

"Well then, tell him to come back tomorrow, so that I can kick his and Urahara's ass"

"It's not Urahara-sensei's fault...'that' happened..." said Mei. "It's Yagura's. You shouldn't be blaming our Sensei for that. And besides, you need to get to the training now, if you're gonna want to learn Bankai"

"Fine. Let's have a bet" said Ichigo. "I'll learn my Bankai, without ever coming a single day to your training. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal" said Mei, smiling. "You know, the odds are extremely against you"

"Oh, don't I know it" said Ichigo. "Anyways, if you don't mind, I think I'll be staying home"

"Suit yourself" said Mei, and immediately Toshiro and her left. Ichigo closed his eyes, and soon found himself in the familiar skyscraper habitat that was his inner-mind. His Zanpaktou stood tall on one of the poles, staring at his wielder.

"Why are you here, Ichigo?"

"You already know the reason" said Ichigo. "I need to learn Bankai"

"Yes, and the training has been going well"

"Not well enough" said Ichigo. "I need it in three months"

"I can prepare you much faster" said Zangetsu, appearing in front of him in an instant. "However, there is only so much I can do. You are going to need a lot of physical training as well, if you are to truly achieve Bankai"

"I can handle that" Ichigo grinned. He frowned the next second. "Zangetsu...that thing I saw, during my fight with Azami. What the hell was that?"

"All in due time, Ichigo. You will know soon enough. Now, draw your blade. It's about time you used all the techniques my Shikai allows" he said, and whipped a cleaver blade, one similar to the one Ichigo used. Ichigo nodded as a blade materialized on his hand, and with a roar, he initiated the fight.

* * *

**Author's note:** **From the reviews I've been getting (Thanks a lot guys!), I've been asked to describe Kirigakure. Something, which I plan on doing, but what I plan on doing slowly. I wrote this chapter just to kinda show the relationships the characters are trying to build\have built. The chapters will be getting longer, and I'll do my best to update faster. Also, this chapter might bring about a slightly weird point. Shutara, a member of the Zero Squad, should surely be much stronger than I portray her, right? Well, that will have an explanation in future chapters, so bear with my till then. Until next time!**


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